Case loading apparatus



July 10, 1956 J. A. OLIVE CASE LOADING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 13, 1951 July 10, 1956 J. A. OLIVE CASE} LOADING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1951 INVENTOR. 3 W Q.W&%/e

July 10, 1956 J. A. OLIVE CASE LOADING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 15, 1951 INVENTOR.

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Kwk. k (kw U724 ONN Ext \BM c.0233 IPCUU July 10, 1956 J. A. OLIVE CASE LOADING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed April 15, 1951 BY a 522% United States Patent CASE LoAnIwG APPARATUS Joye A. Olive, Bainbridge, Ga., assignor to Miller Hydro Company, Bainbridge, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Application April 13, 1951, Serial No. 220,795

8 Claims. (Cl. 53-247) The present invention pertains to improvements in apparatus for automatically loading or packing cases commonly employed in the handling and shipment of bottled beverages and the like. The improvements deal in general with the article and case feed and positioning units of the apparatus whereby the same performs safely and expeditiously, whether the articles are loaded directly into a partitioned wooden case or the individual cells of article carriers in a partitioned or plain, non-partitioned case.

More particularly, the invention concerns an improved organization, in apparatus of this type, of a bottle grouping and drop mechanism, a case positioning and elevating mechanism, and certain improved features and relationships thereof.

it is a general object of the invention to provide an improved case loading apparatus of simplified character which involves a minimum number of operating parts by reason of its various gravity powered phases of operation, which is compact and relatively inexpensive, which is entirely automatic in its operation, requiring no supervision other than the continued feed thereto of bottles and cases, and which has improved provisions preventing its operation other than in a safe and intended fashion.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a case loading apparatus characterized by provisions for sequentially receiving bottles and aligning the same in endwise row order, for periodically advancing such aligned rows in a transverse direction, whereby to accumulate a plurality of rows of bottles at a bottle drop or discharge station, for automatically releasing and dropping the accumulated group of bottles, for properly guiding the falling bottles in order to minimize impact at the case, and for presenting an empty case in receiving relation to the descending group or charge of bottles at the proper time, which provisions for presenting the case are of an improved gravity operated, case controlled type having an improved and simplified operating relationship to the bottle drop and guide provisions, serving to maintain the cost of the apparatus at a minimum, yet insuring wholly reliable automatic operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus including bottle feed, grouping, dropping and guiding provisions of the sort referred to in the preceding paragraph, together with an improved case positioning structure acting to elevate and position an empty case in relatively close, vertically aligned relation to a charge of bottles to be dropped, which elevator structure includes an inclined anti-friction roller type case supporting rack disposed in a predetermined, fixed and tilted relation to the horizontal such that loaded cases are readily discharged by gravity from its roller surface, yet the inclination is not so great as to impede unfailing free entry of the gravitationally descending bottles into the subdivided, cellular interior of the case.

Yet another object is to provide apparatus of the foregoing sort, in which the case elevating structure or mechanism is operatively associated with a drop plate and with certain guide plate provisions associated with the latter,

2,753,673: Patented July 10, 1956 "ice in a manner to automatically operate or condition the guide plate provisions by the upward, case elevating stroke of the elevator.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a gravity type case loading apparatus of the foregoing description including a vertically movable, counterweight operated case elevator which has means releasably engageable therewith to positively restrain the elevator rack in opposition to its counterweight at a predetermined, preferably slightly inclined, bottle receiving plane or position, at which position the cases are positively fed onto the rack by a driven feed element at the positively restrained elevation, the conveyor when loaded being depressed in opposition to the counterweight by the weight of its load to a position substantially beneath bottle receiving position, at which last named position the loaded cases are gravitationally discharged.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in end elevation, partially broken away, illustrating the improved case loading apparatus as seen from the case in-feed end of the latter;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus showing the general arrangement and certain details of the bottle feed, positioning or grouping and dropping mechanisms;

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation, partially broken away, illustrating the arrangement of the bottle drop and guide mechanism with relation to the case in-feed and elevator mechanism of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a view in vertical transverse section approximately along section line 4-4 of Fig. 3, further illustrating details of the bottle feed, positioning, dropping and guiding means and the relation thereof to the case elevating unit, certain further provisions relating to a bottle pusher unit, etc., being omitted for the sake of simplicity;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in vertical longitudinal section along a line corresponding to section line 5-5 of Figs. 1 and 4, illustrating details of a one-way clutch and solenoid control therefor through which the operation of the bottle pusher unit is initiated;

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are fragmentary views in vertical section along lines 6- 6, 7--7, 8-8, and 9-9, respectively, of Fig. 2, further illustrating various structural details shown in that figure;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view in section along line 1tl10 of Fig. 3, illustrating control provisions for a case postion switch of the apparatus;

Fig. 11 is a wiring diagram schematically showing various operating instrumentalities of the apparatus and the electrical connection thereof; and

Figs. 12 and 13 are diagrammatic views illustrating in a general way the operating relationship of the improved case positioning unit and improved bottle drop and guide unit of the invention.

The apparatus is made up in a general way of three basic mechanisms and their respective operating instrumentalities, together with electrical and mechanical operating connections whereby these mechanisms are actuated in predeterminedly timed and coordinated relation to one another. The mechanisms referred to are a bottle feed and positioning or grouping mechanism, generally designated 10, a drop plate and vertical bottle guide mechanism 11, Fig. 2, and a case feed and elevator mechanism 12, Figs. 1 and 3. They will be described in that order.

Referring to Figs. 1 through 4 of the drawings, most of the operating elements of the loader are enclosed in a sheet metal housing 14 which is provided with a flat horizontal, top operating table 15 of rectangular outline and a heavy horizontal bottom or base plate 16. The base plate is provided with four adjustable supporting feet 17. Housing 14 has appropriate provisions to support table 15, as well as further bracket or framework 3 provisions of a conventional sort for supporting various instrumentalities which are not carried directly by the table or base plate. Detailed description of these stand ard parts will be dispensed with.

Bottle feed and positioning mechanism Details of the bottle feed and positioning mechanism are perhaps best illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, taken in conjunction with Figs. 69, inclusive, which show various structural details appearing in Fig. 2. Referring first, however, to Fig. l, the table is of vertically stepped, two-part character, including an upper push bar section 18 and a slightly depressed drop plate section 19. This is suitably supported along the inner edge of the section 18. Table section 19 is provided with a pair of longitudinally extending con eyor slide rails 20 adjacent the inner edge referred, over which an endless, link or slat type bottle feed-in conveyor 21 is adapted to move. As shown in Fig. l, conveyor 21 is driven by a sprocket wheel 22 on a stub shaft 23 journaled in an internal framework, referred to above and generally designated 24, which is associated with the table 15, housing 14 and base plate 16 of the apparatus. The shaft 23 is bevel gear driven from a main, vertically extending drive shaft 25. The latter is appropriately journaled in framework 24 and is provided adjacent its lower end with a sprocket driven through chain 26 from a suitable motor 27, also rigidly carried by framework 24.

A bottle conveyor switch which is not shown in mechanical form in the drawings but is indicated by the reference numeral 29 in the wiring diagram, Fig. 11, is associated with the bottle conveyor 21 at an appropriate point on the bottle in-feed side of the apparatus. This switch is closed when an appropriate number of bottles, six in the illustrated embodiment, have accumulated behind a star wheel 39 (Figs. 2 and 7). Fixed and adjustable bottle guide plates 31, 31 on opposite sides of conveyor 21 align the bottles as they enter the apparatus, and the leading bottle is halted by an arm or point of star wheel 36 in the position of the latter appearing in Fig. 2. The star wheel is automatically halted and held at this position at the termination of a complete bottic in-feed cycle, as by engagement of a vertical stop pin 32 thereon with a pivoted lock rod 33 on table section 18, to be described.

Star wheel is equipped with an integral triangularshaped switch closing cam 34 on one of its points. This cam is engageable with the actuating arm of a star wheel switch 35 appropriately supported on table section 18. The star wheel otherwise is rotated freely by advancing bottles about a vertical spindle 36 on the table when in unlocked condition.

As illustrated in the wiring diagram, Fig. ll, the star wheel and conveyor switches 35, 29 are connected in series. The star wheel switch is closed at the outset of a machine cycle, so that when conveyor switch 29 is closed by a line of accumulated bottles an energizing circuit is completed to a clutch solenoid 38 mounted on the underside of table 15 (see Fig. 5). Energization of this solenoid serves to initiate operation of the bottle pusher and positioning mechanism, to be described. Inasmuch as the star wheel 30 is not freed to permit longitudinal advance of bottles on conveyor 21 until after the push bar unit 40 of feeding and grouping mechanism iii has made an initial blank stroke, description of the unit 4i]? is now in order.

The push unit 40 comprises an elongated push bar 41 disposed adjacent and parallel to one side of the conveyor 21, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6. It is positioned at a sufficient elevation to clear an adjustable end stop 42 aligned with the conveyor, against which a row of bottles advanced by the conveyor abuts when in operative position before the push bar. The latter has a rearwardly extending, tongue-like slide plate 43 afiixed to its rear surface, which plate is slidably received and guided by a way 44 secured to the top of table section 18. An operating thrust link 45 is pivoted to the plate 43 at .6 and, at its rearward extremity, to an actuating rocker 47. Rocker 47 is pivoted to the table at 48, adjacent one extremity thereof, for free oscillation over the table. It has an elongated cam slot 50 adjacent its opposite end, which slot is equipped with parallel hardened sides engageable by an operating cam or roller 51 swiveled 52 on a crank arm 53 (see Fig. 6). Arm 53 is secured to a clutch controlled shaft 54 at a point immediately above the table 15. Rocker 47 is pivoted by a pin 55 to the rear extremity of the operating link 45 by which slide plate 43 and push bar 41 are actuated.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 6, it will be noted that the crank shaft 54 carries an integral cam 56 immediately above table 15. This is engageable with the tail 57 of the star wheel lock rod 33, the latter being swinguble on table section 18 about an intermediate pivot 58. A coil spring 59 secured to the rod 33 and to a brac 'et on the table urges the rod in clockwise direction, as iewed in Fig. 2. It maintains the rod in locking relation to the star Wheel stop pin 32 until the latter is tripped and dislodged from pin engaging position by the cam 56.

Rotation of driven crank shaft 54 to actuate push bar 41 through the agencies described above is controlled by the means illustrated in Fig. 5. Table 15 carries a downwardly projecting bracket 61 on which the ciutch controlling solenoid 33 is mounted. A small link 62 connects the core of the solenoid 38 with a clutch release arm 63 which is appropriately mounted on part of the framework 24 associated with table 15, and this arm is urged by a spring 64 in a direction to normally engage the holding pin 65 of a conventional single revolution clutch 66. The latter is coaxially associated with driven crank shaft 54 to actuate the same for one complete revolution, and then halt the shaft, each time the control arm 63 is actuated by solenoid 38. This occurs each time the bottle conveyor switch 2? and star wheel switch 35 are both closed, as described above. Particular details of the clutch 66 form no part of the invention, hence are not further illustrated or described. One-way clutch 66 is driven through a chain 67 and sprocket from the main drive shaft 25 (see Fig. 1), an idler sprocket 68 cngaging the chain to maintain proper tension.

In order to insure proper alignment of bottles on the conveyor 21, a longitudinal bottle guide and side restraining rail '70 is provided. This extends parallel to the push bar 41 on the opposite side of the bottle conveyor (see Figs. 2 and 4). It is also operated in timed relation to the push bar through the agency of an integral cam 68 on clutch driven crank shaft 54 (Fig. 5). Cam 6% engages an arm 71 (Fig. 4) mounted on a pivot 52 depending from the table section 18, a fixedly anchored coil spring 73 maintaining contact of the arm 71 and cam. Arm 71 is connected by an adjustable link 74 with a bell crank 75 which is pivoted to a depending bracket on table portion 19 located immediately beneath bottle conveyor 21. The bell crank includes a finger supporting a vertically extending connector or tappet 76 which engages the side rail 70, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. Cam actuated movement of link '74 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 4 causes the rail to be elevated when the instrumentalities controlling push bar 41 are not conditioned to advance the same. Cam 68 is so shaped and positioned on clutch driven shaft 54 that as the latter rotates to advance the push bar rail is depressed, enabling bottles to be pushed forward onto the drop plate section 19 of table 15. A fixedly anchored coil spring 78 tends to urge the rail downwardly.

Reference has been made to the fact that the first stroke of the push bar 41 is a blank strokes This is because the star wheel 30 is locked and no row of bottles is present before the push bar to be advanced transversely. As the push bar advances transversely the star Wheel is unlocked, but the bottles which have accumulated behind the same continue to be held from longitudinal advance by a rear extension '79 on the push bar (Fig. 2) which blocks their path. However, upon the rctractile stroke of push bar 41 the accumulated six bottles are now advanced on the continuously traveling conveyor 21 into engagement with the end stop 42. A full rotation of star wheel 30 brings the same again to locked position, the star wheel switch is closed and accordingly, when the conveyor switch is again closed, this row of six bottles is advanced transversely by the push bar. The center of the row coincides with the middle of the bottle drop unit, to be described and the row passes onto the section 19 of the table 15 with which that unit is associated.

Bottle drop and guide mechanism The mechanism 11 is best illustrated in Fig. 2, at least regarding the provisions thereof for assembling a complement of twenty-four bottles and releasing this cornplement to drop into a case below. Fig. 2 should be considered in conjunction with Figs. 8 and 9, and the general arrangement is diagrammatically shown in Figs. 12 and 13.

A generally rectangular bottle drop plate 82 is mounted on table section 19, in parallel relation thereto, for sliding movement in the longitudinal direction, i. e., in the direction of conveyor 21 and side rail, adjacent which the inner margin of the drop plate is positioned. Two dozen apertures 83 are present in plate 82, in relative spacing corresponding to that of the cells of a partitioned case. The drop plate is provided at one side with longitudinally and laterally extending end portions 84 equipped with bottom bearing pads or elements 85. These are slidably supported by wear plates 86 applied to table section 19. Shaped upstanding lugs 87 on the latter are received in elongated slots 88 adjacent the outer corners of the drop plate to guide the latter in its longitudinal sliding movement.

A coil spring 89 is fixedly anchored on table section portion 19 and connected with one end of drop plate 82 to urge the same in one longitudinal direction, and the plate is actuated in the opposite direction by a small solenoid unit 90 supported on table section 19 adjacent its opposite end of the plate. The solenoid core 91 is connected by an L-shaped, bifurcated bracket 92 to the adjacent side of the drop plate, as illustrated in Fig. 9, thereby to retract the plate against the force of spring 89 when the solenoid is energized, in a manner to be described. The spring urges the plate against an end bumper 93 on drop plate table section 19.

A transversely partitioned bottle separator and guide is mounted on operating table in the manner illustrated in Figs. 2 and 8. It includes a plurality of intermediate separator plates 95 which extend parallel to one another in a lateral spacing corresponding to that of the drop apertures 83 of the drop plate. The lower margins of separator plates 95 are spaced above the drop plate 82, as illustrated in Fig. 8, and they are maintained in proper spacing by block-like, internally arcuate spacers 96. Full depth, boss-like rear extensions 97 of two of the spacers provide a rigid mount for the bottle guide and separator unit on table section 19. Opposed end plates 98 of greater height than the block-like spacers 96 complete the last named unit. They are clamped to the outer pair of spacers, and the spacers and separator plates 95 are clamped as a unit by means of through bolts 99. This constitutes a fixed transverse bottle guide and divider head arrangement above drop plate 82 having its center partition element 95 aligned with the center of a row of six bottles on conveyor 21. Thus when that row is advanced by push bar 41 the bottles enter unimpededly into the elongated stalls defined by the separator and end plates 95, 98. Successive operations of the push bar advance successive rows until a full complement of twenty-four bottles is present on drop plate 82, separated at this time only by the plates 95.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, the end plates 98 referred to above are each provided with an elongated slot 100 which inclines inwardly and downwardly toward the bottle conveyor 21. This slot loosely receives a longitudinally extending, elongated bottle steadying roller 101. It gravitationally engages against the forward side of the leading row of bottles as the latter are periodically advanced in rows by push bar 41, thereby stabilizing the advancing and grouping bottles.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, the drop plate 82 is equipped with individual bottle spacer pins 103 projecting upwardly therefrom at points between immediately succeeding drop apertures 83 of the plate. These pins are disposed substantially underneath the separator plates in the inoperative position of the drop plate, so that they do not interfere with the entry of bottles between those plates. When drop plate 82 is actuated by solenoid 90, the pins enter between successive, transversely arranged bottles, thereby to transversely space the same with relation to the apertures 83. Thus the bottles drop freely through the latter when the drop plate has been fully retracted in the longitudinal direction. a

A normally closed twenty-fourth bottle switch unit, generally designated 104, is mounted on table section 19 adjacent one corner of the drop plate. It includes a switch 105 adjustably positioned with respect to the table by a bracket 106 and is adapted to be operated by a pivoted actuating arm 107. This is accomplished when the forward row of a group of twenty-four bottles advanced across the drop plate engages the arm. Twenty-fourth bottle switch 105 is a two-way switch which governs, in part, an energizing circuit for the drop plate solenoid 9t) and the push bar circuit. When it is actuated the latter circuit is broken at this switch. When in the position of Fig. 2, the switch unit 104 closes the push bar circuit.

Before the drop plate is actuated it is also necessary to insure that a case is in proper position therebelow to receive the falling complement of bottles. Case position switch 109 on table section 19 performs this function, and its actuating provisions will be referred to later in connection with the case elevator and positioning mechanism 12.

Further safety provisions to break the operating circuit of push bar 41 include a drop plate switch 110 (Fig. 2) associated with drop plate 82. This switch is normally closed by the drop plate, but regressive movement of the latter causes it to open, thus maintaining the push bar circuit open, even after the twenty-fourth bottle switch 105 is again restored to position to close the push oar circuit at this point, as the result of dropping of the bottles. Switch 110 interrupts the push bar circuit until the drop plate returns to its normal inactive position, illustrated in Fig. 2, restrained by bumper 93.

After drop plate 82 has been retracted to its operative position for dropping a group of twenty-four bottles, the bottle guide unit 112 best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, also schematically shown in Figs. 12 and 13, acts to guide the bottles into the case, so that they are properly entered into the individual compartments of the latter. It also acts to spread or square up the partitions of paperboard bottle carriers which are commonly arranged in non-partitioned cases for automatic loading by equipment of the present sort. The guide unit 112 includes a fixed rectangular sleeve plate 113 mounted beneath the drop plate in a correspondingly shape opening 114 of table section 19 (see Fig. 4). It is in a slightly elevated relation to the table. A plurality of cylindrical chute sleeves 115 are fixedly mounted in apertures in sleeve plate 113, being spaced in accordance with the spacing of the drop plate apertures 83. They are in alignment immediately underneath the latter when the drop plate is actuated.

A further, vertically reciprocable spring finger plate 116 is provided with similarly spaced openings which slidably engage the exterior of the sleeves 115. Spring 7 plate 116 is mounted on a frame 117 provided with depending actuating links 118, hereinafter described in further detail, and the spring plate is periodically raised by links 118 relative to the sleeve plate and sleeves 115, the timing being determined by the reception of cases by the case elevator mechanism 12.

Four spring guide fingers 120 are associated with each of the sleeves 115, being fixed at their upper ends to spring plate 116 or to its frame 117. They depend in convergent relation to the axes of the sleeves and are adapted to be spread outwardly, from the position of Fig. 12 to that illustrated in Fig. 13, when the spring plate is elevated. They thus guide bottles positively in entering a case or the cells of a bottle carrier in a case which is properly presented thereto.

Case positioning and elevator mechanism The case position switch 109 referred to above is controlled by the case which is received and elevated into bottle receiving position by the positioning and elevator mechanism 12.

Actuating means for the case position switch 109 are illustrated in Fig. 10. The switch is operatively connected to an arm 122 pivoted on a bracket 123 attached to one or two opposed, vertically extending, elevator guide posts 124. These posts extend vertically between and are aihxed to the table and base 16, as illustrated in Fi s. 3 and 4 of the drawings. Arm 122 has an extension 125 which is adapted to be engaged by a case ascending on the elevator of the apparatus; this closes case position switch 109 when the case is in proper position to receive a load of bottles, with the spring guide fingers 120 inserted into its interior, and the drop plate circuit is thus completed at this switch.

Case feeding and elevator mechanism 12 is best shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. Cases are fed into the apparatus on an inclined, gravity in-feed conveyor of well known type, details of which are not shown, being directed through an intake opening in the side of the housing 1t? by means of side guide rods 128 of the in-feed conveyor. The cases are presented to a driven friction roll 129 of substantial diameter immediately Within the housing, by which they are positively advanced forwardly onto the elevator rack of mechanism 12, which is generally designated 130. Roller 129 is fixed on a shaft 131 (see Fig. l) driven by chain 132 from a stub shaft 133, and the last named shaft is bevel gear-driven from main drive shaft 25.

Referring to Figs. 1, 3 and 12, the elevator rack 130 includes a roller type platform 135 which is inclined slightly downwardly in the direction of in-feed of cases thereto. The platform has parallel side frame members 136 journalling the ends of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending anti-friction rollers 137, over which advancing empty cases are forwarded by driven feed roller 129. The platform 135 is in substantially coplanar relation to the top of roller 129 at the receiving end of the platform. The latter is normally urged upwardly by a pair of counterweights 138, one on either side thereof, having tension chains 139 connected thereto. The chains are trained upwardly about idler pulleys 140 which are mounted by brackets on the respective elevator guide posts 124, as shown in Fig. 4. Opposite ends of the chains are connected to the elevator platform 135 by means of angle brackets 142. These brackets are secured to heavy slide members 143 on opposite sides of the platform, which members slidably engage the respective vertical guide posts 124, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 3, the tilted carriage frame 135 is provided on each of its four corners with a shaped tappet element 145 which slides along one of the depending links 113 of the spring frame 117. These links are each equipped with a lower stop lug 146 and an upper abutment l-ug 149, preferably adjustably positioned thereon. Tappet elements 145 are engageable. with the respective sets of upper and lower lugs as the platform 135 of elevator 1.30 travels upwardly and downwardly. When upper lugs 149 are engaged the links 118 and spring plate 116 are caused to travel upwardly, thus elevating the sets of resilient bottle guide fingers 121) relative to guide sleeves and spreading the fingers from the position illustrated in Figs. 4 and 12 to the position illustrated in Fig. 13. As this happens, the case position switch 1119 is closed, completing the energizing circuit for solenoid 90 at this point. The solenoid thereafter shifts the drop plate and allows a grouped complement of bottles to fall through the guide sleeve and fingers into the properly positioned case.

Control of the upward movement of the elevator platform is effected by agencies illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. One or more depending control arms 151 are pivoted at their upward end on an adjustable table support 152, the position of which may be varied by adjusting the position of the support about a pivot 153 to table 15. At its lower end the arm 151 carries an elevator stop roller 154 which is engageable with the sliding guide 143 of the platform 135 to hold the latter in proper receiving relation to driven feed roller 129, in opposition to the counterweights 138.

The case advancing forwardly on platform 135 cugages a transversely disposed pin 156 on a guided roll 157 which is adjustably secured at 158 to the depending control arm 151, thereby retracting the stop roller 154 out of engagement with the platform guide 143. The empty case is now elevated by the counterweights into the operative position described above.

Longitudinal in-feed overrun of the case on the elevator platform is prevented by anend stop roller 169 and a pivoted, parallel arm linkage 161 which connects the stop roller to the forward end of the platform 1.35. When the platform bears only the weight of an empty case, this linkage is not tripped by a laterally projecting arm 162 which is fixedly mounted on the frame of the apparatus beneath the linkage. Hence the latter maintains stop roller in an upwardly projecting position to longitudinally restrain the case. However, when the platform 135 is loaded with a filled case and descends, counterbalancing the counterweights 138, its weight is sufficient to cause linkage 161 to be tripped by trip arm 162. The linkage swings downwardly to the inclined position shown in dottedlines in Fig. 3, thereby retracting stop roller 160 and allowing the loaded carrier to advance gravitationally along the inclined roller platform 135. It passes onto a further discharge conveyor (not shown) which may also be of a gravity type, by which it is removed from the apparatus.

The inclination of roller platform 1.35 is approximately to the horizontal, an angle which enables the loaded case to pass readily forward when stop arm 160 is tripped, yet insuflicient to tilt the case extremely and thus hinder entry of falling bottles into its subdivided interior. Thus it is seen that all the advantages, from the standpoint of low production cost, of gravity bottle deposition, gravity case in-feed, gravity case elevation and return, and gravity case discharge are combined in the apparatus in a simple yet effective operating inter-relationship.

As the loaded elevator platform 131B descends from the spring bottle guide fingers 129 the spring frame 117, spring plate 116 and links 118 remain elevated until the tappet elements 145 engage the set of lower stop lugs 146, whereupon the plate assembly is drawn downwardly relative to the sleeve guide plate. Lateral extensions 164 associated therewith engage a spring type stop 165 depending from the table 15 to terminate downward movement of the spring plate and spring fingers 120. This leaves the latter in the contracted position illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 12.

The apparatus is controlled by the electrical arrangement schematically illustrated in. the wiring diagram,

Fig. 11. Two basic control circuits are involved, namely a push bar circuit and a drop plate circuit. These are operated through a transforirier 165, a push bar clutch solenoid relay 166 and a drop plate solenoid relay 167. A master stop-start push button switch 168 of standard type is employed, and a further pivot arm switch 169 may also be included in the drop plate circuit. This acts to delay movement of the drop plate until the pusher plate has been moved away from the last row of bottles.

The function of the transformer and relays is to provide line voltage for the respective solenoids and a low voltage for the control circuits. As indicated above the push bar and drop plate circuits require safety provisions to eliminate the possibility of pushing bottles forward when drop plate 82 is fully loaded, ready to be shifted to open position, or of shifting the drop plate to that position when a case is not properly positioned by elevator 130.

The push bar circuit consists of transformer 165, relay 166, clutch solenoid 38 controlled thereby (and acting to operate one revolution clutch 66 through which the push bar 41 is driven), bottle conveyor switch 29, star wheel switch 35, twenty-fourth bottle switch 165, and drop plate switch 110. Bottle conveyor switch 29 and star wheel switch 35 are active switches and their series-connected relationship have been explained above. Twenty-fourth bottle switch 105 and drop plate switch 11%? are safety switches. In operation, the twenty-fourth bottle switch opens the push bar circuit as a fourth row of six bottles is pushed onto drop plate 82. It closes a portion of the drop plate circuit at the same time. An additional row of bottles may be conveyed by conveyor 21 in front of the push bar, but until the drop plate is cleared of bottles further movement of push bar 41 is impossible.

As the drop plate 82 slides to open position the drop plate switch 11%! is actuated to open the push bar circuit and close the drop plate circuit. It will maintain the push bar circuit open even after the twenty-fourth bottle switch returns to close that circuit upon dropping of the bottles. The push bar circuit is thus interrupted at the drop plate section 19 until drop plate 82 is spring returned to normal position following de-energization of its operating solenoid 90.

The drop plate circuit consists of the drop plate solenoid relay 167, drop plate solenoid 90 controlled thereby, twenty-fourth bottle switch 105, drop plate switch 110 and case position switch 109. As explained above, the twenty-fourth bottle switch is actuated as the fourth row of six bottles is pushed forward to interrupt the push bar circuit at that point, at the same time completing its portion of the drop plate circuit. Case position switch 109 is actuated as an empty case is raised on elevator 130, further closing the drop plate circuit. Drop plate switch 110 is not actuated during this phase. With the actuation of twenty-fourth bottle switch 105 and case position switch 109, the drop plate circuit is completed, in its first phase, and drop plate 82 shifts to open position upon energization of its relay controlled solenoid.

The second phase of the drop plate follows actuation of drop plate switch 110'as the drop plate moves. Switch 110 now maintains the drop plate circuit as twenty-fourth bottle switch 105 returns to normal position.

The drop plate circuit is interrupted as the loaded case lift platform 135 moves downward past control arm 125 of case position switch 109. The latter has insured that the case is in proper position to receive bottles before movement of the drop plate 82 can occur.

Operation of the apparatus is understandable, in general, from the foregoing, in connection with the wiring diagram of Fig. 11. The sequence of operation of the mechanical units is as follows: Bottles are forwarded from a preceding operation, for example filling and capping operations, on the conveyor 21, traveling in the direction indicated by arrow on Fig. 2. The leading bottle of the series contacts and is held by a point of star wheel 30, which is locked in the star wheel switch closing position shown in Fig. 2 by engagement of control rod 33 with the pin 32. The bottles continue to accumulate behind the lead bottle, conveyor 21 sliding therebeneath, until a suflicient number have accumulated to cause bottle conveyor switch 29 to be closed. Clutch solenoid 38 is now energized and acts through link 62' and arm 63 to actuate single revolution clutch 66. Motor 27 actuates the push bar operating crank 47 through the main drive shaft 25, chain and sprocket connections 26, 67, main drive shaft 25, clutch and crank shaft 54, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5. Shaft 54 drives crank arm 47 for a single rotative cycle, causing rocker 47 to oscillate about its pivot and actuate push bar 41 for a forward and return stroke.

The initial forward stroke of the push bar is a blank stroke since no bottles are in front of the same. 011 the return stroke of the push bar, the cam 56 on push bar crank shaft 54 engages the tail 57 of star Wheel lock arm 33 and shifts the arm from the position shown in Fig. 2 to free the star wheel pin 32. The bottles now rotate the star wheel until the lead bottles of a row engages the bottle stop 42. This positions the midpoint of the line of six in transverse alignment with the center blade 95 of the separator unit which overlies drop plate 82. When the bottles are so positioned the star wheel resumes its original locked position, illustrated in Fig. 2.

As push bar 41 is conditioned to move forward the side guide rail is depressed through action on arm 71 (Fig. 4) of the cam 68 (Fig. 5) on push bar crank shaft 54. Linkage 74, 76 restores rail 70 to its operative, upstanding position, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, after the push bar has completed its return stroke. The ad vancement of subsequent charges of six bottles repeats the above described cycle until a full complement of twenty-four bottles has been positioned on the drop plate 82. Single revolution clutch 66, after being tripped by solenoid 38 as described above, is disengaged immediately upon return of the solenoid to normal position. This occurs just as soon as star wheel cam 34 moves and opens the star wheel switch.

With twenty-four bottles on the drop plate, solenoid is energized, the various safety provisions described above being in effect. Plate 82 is shifted to bottle drop position, during which movement the bottle spacing pins 103 on the plate insure that the bottles will lie directly over the openings 83 in operative position of the latter. The bottles drop through the openings and through the guide sleeves 115.

A case has been gravitationally fed onto the driven case in-feed roller 129, which advances the case onto the elevator platform or rack of elevator 130. The rack is maintained in generally coplanar receiving relation to roller 129, due to engagement by stop roller 154, however the advancing empty case removes this stop by engaging transverse pin 156 carried by stop roller arm. Forward advance of the empty case on the elevator platform is limited by the roll 160, in the solid line position of the latter. With the case in position on the unlocked elevator platform, the same is lifted by counterweight 138.

As the platform 135 rises, tappets engage the abutment or bumper lugs 149, lifting the spring plate and frame 117. This spreads bottle guide spring fingers 120 as they pass upwardly over the guide sleeves 115.

The spring plate frame is normally supported by a coil spring cushion unit on the table of the apparatus. The case is now in proper bottle receiving position and has closed case position switch 109, as described above.

The remaining drop plate and switch connections having been effected as described above, the bottles are dropped into the case. The loaded elevator platform 135 descends, overbalancing the counterweights 138. It

passes its normal case receiving position and strikes a cushioned bottom stop 170, in position for gravitational discharge from the anti-friction roller platform 135. In this downward movement, the linkage 161 is tilted to the dotted line position of Fig. 3 by fixed trip arm 162, thereby dropping case stop roller 160. The case now rolls off the elevator 130. With the weight of the loaded case removed, the elevator platform is now counterweighted upwardly until it re-engages the stop roller 154, in position to receive a following empty case.

I claim:

I. A case loading machine comprising a sleeve plate provided with spaced apertures and with guide sleeves in fixed depending, aligned relation to the apertures thereof, a spring plate in vertically aligned and relatively shiftable relation to said sleeve plate, said spring plate having apertures slidably receiving said sleeves during said relative shift, depending, mutually convergent finger springs mounted on said spring plate and surrounding said last named apertures, means in relatively fixed relation to said sleeve plate acting to support said spring plate in vertically depending position relative thereto when said plates are most widely separated, said springs being spread by said sleeves upon relative approaching movement of the spring and sleeve plates, and an upwardly movable unit engageable with one of said plates to cause said relative plate movement.

2. A case loading machine comprising a sleeve plate provided with spaced apertures and with guide sleeves in fixed depending, aligned relation to the apertures thereof, a spring plate in vertically aligned and relatively shiftable relation to said sleeve plate, said spring plate having apertures slidably receiving said sleeves during said relative shift, depending, mutually convergent finger springs mounted on said spring plate and surrounding said last named apertures, means in relatively fixed relation to said sleeve plate acting to support said spring plate in vertically depending position relative thereto when said plates are most widely separated, said springs being spread by said sleeves upon relative approaching movement of the spring and sleeve plates, a case support in vertically movable relation to said last named plates, and means on said support engageable with one of said plates to cause said relative plate movement.

3. A case loading machine comprising a drop plate having a plurality of article drop apertures therein, a sleeve plate disposed beneath and parallel to said drop plate and provided with a like number of correspondingly spaced apertures adapted to be aligned vertically with said article drop aperture, means to cause relative lateral article aligning movement of said plates, said sleeve plate being provided with guide sleeves in fixed depending, aligned relation to the apertures thereof, a spring plate in vertically aligned and relatively shiftable relation to said sleeve plate, said spring plate having apertures slidably receiving said sleeves during said relative shift, depending, mutually convergent finger springs mounted on said spring plate and surrounding said last named apertures, means in relatively fixed relation to said sleeve plate acting to support said spring plate in vertically depending position relative thereto when said plates are most widely separated, said springs being spread by said sleeves upon relative approaching movement of the spring and sleeve plates, and an upwardly movable unit engageable with one of said plates to cause said relative plate movement.

4. A case loading machine comprising a drop plate having a plurality of article drop apertures therein, a sleeve plate disposed beneath and parallel to said drop plate and provided with a like number of correspondingly spaced apertures adapted to be aligned vertically with said article drop aperture, means to cause relative lateral article aligning movement of said plates, said sleeve plate being provided with guide sleeves in fixed depending,

aligned relation to the apertures thereof, a spring plate in vertically aligned and relatively shiftable relation to said sleeve plate, said spring plate having apertures slidably receiving said sleeves during said relative shift, depending, mutually convergent finger springs mounted on said spring plate and surrounding said last named apertures, said springs being spread by said sleeves upon relative approaching movement of the spring and sleeve plates, a case support in vertically movable relation to said last named plates, and means on said support engageable with one of said plates to cause said relative plate movement.

5. In a loading apparatus in which bottles or like articles are positioned in a row and caused to descend vertically in a row into a case, the improvement comprising a plurality of tubular article guide elements through which the articles descend, a set of spreadable fingers associated with each of said guide elements, means mounting said respective sets of fingers and guide elements for relative vertical wiping movement to spread the fingers of the sets horizontally by sliding engagement witlrthe guide elements, a vertically movable case positioning elevator located in the path of article descent through said guide elements, means operatively connected to said elevator to raise the latter to article receiving position, and means on said elevator engageable with said mounting means when the elevator is raised to cause said relative vertical movement of said fingers and article guide elements.

6. In a loading apparatus in which bottles or like articles are positioned in a row and caused to descend vertically in a row into a case, the improvement comprising a plurality of tubular article guide elements through which the articles descend, a set of spreadable fingers associated with each of said guide elements, means mounting said respective sets of fingers and guide elements for relative vertical wiping movement to spread the fingers of the sets horizontally by sliding engagement with the guide elements, a vertically movable case positioning elevator located in the path of article descent through said guide elements, said elevator comprising a vertically movable supporting frame having anti-friction case supporting rollers journalled thereon and disposed in series in a fixed and slightly inclined relation to the horizontal, means operatively connected to said elevator to raise the latter to article receiving position, and means on said elevator engageable with said mounting means when the elevator is raised to cause said relative vertical movement of said fingers and article guide elements. v

7. In a loading apparatus in which bottles or like articles are positioned in arow and caused to descend vertically in a row into a case, the improvement comprising a plurality oftubular article guide elements through which the articles descend, a set of spreadable fingers associated with each of said guide elements, means mounting said respective sets of fingers and guide elements for relative vertical wiping movement to spread the fingers of the sets horizontally by sliding engagement with the guide elements, a vertically movable case positioning elevator located in the path of article descent. through said guide elements, said elevator comprising a vertically movable supporting .frame having anti-friction case supporting rollers journalled thereon and dis posed in series in a fixedand slightly inclined relation to the horizontal, a case stop mounted on said elevator frame for movement thereon to and from position to halt gravitational movement of a case on said inclined rollers, operating means for said stop, means operatively connected to said elevator to raise the latter to article receiving position, and means on said elevator engageable with said mounting means when the elevator is raised to cause said relative vertical movement of said fingers and article guide elements.

8. In a loading apparatus in which bottles or like 13 articles are positioned in a row and caused to descend vertically in a row into a case, the improvement comprising a plurality of tubl-lar article guide elements through which the articles descend, a set of spreadable fingers associated with each of said guide elements, means mounting said respective sets of fingers and guide elements for relative vertical wiping movement to spread the fingers of the sets horizontally by sliding engagement with the guide elements, a vertically movable case positioning elevator located in the path of article descent through said guide elements, said elevator comprising a vertically movable supporting frame having anti-friction case supporting rollers journalled thereon and disposed in series in a fixed and slightly inclined relation to the horizontal, a case stop mounted on said elevator frame for movement thereon to and from position to halt gravitational movement of a case on said inclined rollers, operating means for said stop, means operatively connected to said elevator to raise the latter to article receiving position, means on said elevator engageable with said mounting means when the elevator is raised to cause said relative vertical movement of said fingers and article guide elements, and means engageable by said case stop operating means to retract said stop from case halting position when said elevator frame is lowered substantially beneath its article receiving position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,219,827 Kimball et al Oct. 29, 1940 2,252,127 Kimball Aug. 12, 1941 2,277,688 Cattonar et al Mar. 31, 1942 2,348,144 Opie May 2, 1944 2,650,746 Rideout et a1. Sept. 1, 1953 

